India Ink

Comment Oscars

It's been four years since the last India Ink Comment Awards, the 2005 Comment Grammys, were held. Hollywood being abuzz with the Oscars today, it seemed an appropriate time to once again honor all the wonderful blog readers who have taken the time to pop in, say hello, and let me know who it is that I'm talking to in cyberspace.

Thanks to all who participated, and keep 'em coming!

Category	Commenter & Comment
Most Prolific Commenters	1. Donna K 250 2. Sharon 177 3. Shannon 152 4. Meg 132 5. Dale 121 6. Sheila  70 Big sister Donna has maintained her lead as top commenter of all time. In honor of this achievement, and because she has previously voiced her desire for not just a Grammy but an Oscar as well, the awards are being changed from Comment Grammys to Comment Oscars.
Best Supporting Cast	Oh...Oh...Oh...Whenever I think you can't possibly top yourself, you leave me speechless. ~Sharon in Flowers of Rochester: Cherry YeeHaw - Basia is back in the business of showing us around the world. That is fascinating!!!!!!! ~Shannon in Ice Follies Yayyyyyyyyy!!!!! ~Sheila in First Crocus UUUHHH , OOOHHH ~Sister D in Safari Skies YOU GO GIRL!!! ~Joanne F in The Kiss Heard Round The World If the government ever blocks your blog, we will take up arms and storm the gates. ~Dale in Bypassing The Blog Ban I'll follow you to the moon, sister dear! ~sister M in 2008 In Review
Best Screenplay	Ok I can just see it now. Fast forward 30+50 years from now. One of the children in the family portrait is a world-renowned computer imaging archivist. One day she comes across this picture. She calls out in delight. It's me! It's me! I remember when this strange woman took our picture.....or maybe she is the next Indira and she recalls this picture during her innaguration ceremony.... ~Donna K in They Don’t Call It Pushkar For Nothing
The "What Have You Been Drinking" Award	Sung to the tune of The 12 Days of Christmas): Five Re-ed tongues! Four Red phones, Three red candles, 2 Red yak steaks, and a Red door in Khat-man-du! ~Sheila in Colors of Asia: Red
The "Say What??" Award	Don't hate. Just love! I wish I could truly know the trials of our people so that I could communicate to those that live near who are willing to listen. -University of Wisconsin, USA ~Trendinn8 in Flower Girls
The "Way Too Much Information" Award	If you did it to excess you would get an acquired iron overload syndrome, which may result in chronic fatigue, arthritis, impotence, amenorrhea, jaundice, abdominal pain, weight loss, dyspnea, chest pain, dysrhythmias, hyperglycemia, hypothyroidism, splenic enlargement, and liver inflammation. In addition, iron is a pro-oxidant. Therefore, it tends to lead to cancer (as opposed to the anti-oxidants found in fruits & vegetables). Combining the milk with the blood and drinking much would get you sick right away. Calcium and iron bind to each other in the gut, thereby preventing the absorption of either. This creates an osmotic diarrhea. Perhaps those that helped form our culture got it right when they advised against, "boiling a kid in its mother's milk." (Deuteronomy 14.21) ~Bill B, MD in Got Blood? (You had me spellbound all the way up until you got to Deuteronomy, Doc!  --Basia)
Best Adaptation of India Ink	I should tell you that I've started using your blog as a live text book to teach several things to my kids. My spouse uses your pics as a wallpaper on the PC.  ~Avid Reader in Gifts of the Sea Last night I read all of its archives which served a double purpose of entertaining me as well as keeping me away from a box of cookies which lurked near my computer. Thus, I strongly urge you to write entries not only to keep us full of Indian musing but also to keep our food binges from occurring:) Less cookies-more Basia! ~Marzena in Back To School Love your hints. May I use them in training myself? ~Donna in A, An,The Amazing pictures! I wrote about them and about your blog in general in the India journal I had to submit for the module about Indian literatures in English that I was following... ~Alba in Go Fish As an aside from your cool status, our 8-year old daughter printed out this blog entry to take to school (they discuss international news articles, current events, etc.). Thanks for the education! ~Amy in Where I Slept This Weekend
Best Mystery Award	A reader requested information about a person whose picture I had posted, because she believed the person was an imposter. (Identities withheld to protect the guilty.)
Best Academicians	Ah, but they are pencils. This is from an etymological blog: "The Latin penis, in addition to "male member," also meant "tail." The sexual sense seems to have been the original one. Which gives an interesting twist to pencil, which is literally a diminutive of penis.   ~Jan in Flying Phalluses Those blue-balled vervet monkeys are really something. Boy, if ever there was evidence for the evolutionary psychology theory that all social structures boil down to reproduction, then this is it. High social status? Wouldn't a bit of wise gray fur between the ears have been enough? Or maybe a thickening of muscle over the shoulders? No, these guys have to go with neon blue scrotums that probably glow in the dark. (On the scientific side--considering that the link you gave shows that dermal hydration produces the blue color, someone should inject all the males of a troop with fluid and examine the behavior of a society of all "equals". I wonder if that leads to total chaos.) ~Dale B. in Africa: Primates
Best Animation	To my fellow viewers, If you scroll down fast while looking at the "sidewalk chalk art" one in the white section, it gives you the illusion of moving. ~Donna in Colors of India: White
Best Unprovoked Rant (that's fit to print)	Well, If you don't like british names or anything done by british then, why do you still celebrate Jan 1st as New year? We have seperate Tamil New Year right? Why don't you destroy the high courts, railway tracks constructed by british & reconstruct from the start? Sounds stupid right... Same way, It sounds stupid to change from Madras to Chennai when both co-existed without any problem. Now , only Chennai exists . where's my magnificent Madras? My DOB Certificate lists it as Madras. A'm I born in a city which does not exist? These changes promote regionalism & not nationalism… which will ultimately result in a separate Country ThamizlNadu(Once known as the State of Madras). ~Ravi in Madras Plaid
Best Foreign Language Comments	Cześć Basiu! Jestem chyba jedyna osobą, która pisze po polsku.W mojej rodzinie mówiło się o Tobie, że jesteś mniej kontaktowa niż Danusia,że jesteś typem introwertyczki.Kto to mówił? Tego nie pamiętam,może babcia Broncia,może ciocia Kostrowa, a może mój ojciec? Tylko, że teraz gdy Cię czytam,to myslę, że jesteś całkiem inna.I kontaktowa i zdecydowanie nie introwertyczka.Historia o rosole była taka,że strasznie nie lubiłaś go jeść,a rodzice zmuszali Cię (w trosce o Twoje zdrowie)i zawsze było z tym zmieszanie.Rosół to rodzaj zupy popularny w Polsce i ponoć bardzo zdrowy. Miło mi, że się odezwałaś.Pozdrawiam ~Wanda Skłodowska in 100 Things BASIA BACK - Countdown Starts 10 Days - English OR Patthu Nal - Tamil OR dziesie,c' Dni - Polish TO GO ..... ~Blog Reader in Shivering In Rochester Basiu ciesze sie ze moge ogladac Twoj dom w pieknej zimowej szacie.Prztulny kominek,a na nim to pamietne zdjencie Cioci z uroczymi dziewczynkami.Ucze sie przesylac moje komentarze pod balwankiem znikl moj podpis dziekuje- ~Anielcia M. in Shivering In Rochester
Best Use of Sarcasm	Congratulations on the obvious success of your latest attempt at unicycling. Age clearly brought you the wisdom to finally pick an appropriate type of fence for the sport! ;-) ~Dale B. in Do You Uni?
Most commented blog entry	Got Blood? garnered a total of 20 comments. Y'all may claim to be grossed out by it, but secretly, you loved it!
Blog entry begging for a comment	Africa Top 5: #3 Fresh Kill I thought for sure this entry would elicit a barrage of comments -- but no...not a one!?
Most Polite Request	I know that you went on a safari and I know that most people are partial to pictures of animals, but for that minority of 1 (me) who is not so inclined, would it be rude to ask for pictures of other things from Kenya or Tanzania. It's just a very,very very humble request from your sister. It's just that I check every day and I haven't had a "simpatico" moment yet in the African series. I await your answer patiently. :)( ~Donna K in Africa Hippo Pool
Assistant Director Awards	... can you take a leave of absence to work on your Blog??????? ~Shannon in How Was Africa I request you to add more nuggets to the “Edutainment” category. ~Pradeep in Bangle Ceremony do you take requests ? as in we name a place and you go there and then come back and write about it and post pics ? ;)  ~Abhijit Ray in Told You So Please, could you leave me the telephone or e mail to YES PLEASE HOSTEL? We`ll leave tomorrow to delhi... is so urgent! Thanks a lot. ~Juanjo, VALENCIA in Hotel Yes Please Could-you-could, in your spare time, develop the virtual scents for each of these blooms! Thank you for putting it on your excel sheet of Things to Do!! ~sister M in Everything's Coming Up Roses Can you put together a small cost-summary (like you did sometime back) so that we know how much it costs to to visit such lovely places. You never know, I could be lucky enough to travel to one such place sometime..... ~The Old Monk in Where No One Wears The Pants In The Family
Better Late Than Never Award	~Cal commented 3.5 years after Sri Lanka: How To Build A House was posted ~Anisha commented 3.4 years after Matha, Pitha, Guru, Daivam was posted
The Christian Bale award	you really think this blog is going to help save people in poverty im doin overty as an assement.If u want to do something about it get of yr ass and do something about it instead of write a blog about it get some money and donate to some cause jackass. ~Mtchie in Photo Friday Poverty you are gross you slag ~lilly in Got Blood?
Most Tempting Comment	Come on back Basia. Its warm and sunny here." ~Old Monk in Winter Lover No More
Most Demanding Comment	this is very horrid do sumthing about it now!!!!!!!! ~Charlotte in Sad Dancing Bears
Most Indignant Comment	What do you mean we're not HOLY WOMEN???!!!  ~sister M in African Birds: Ostrich
Best Interpretation	After years of being a "secretary" I know exactly how she feels! Answer your own damn phone, I'm looking for some lowly prey! ~sister M in Secretary Bird I'll assume it was the bandicoot who stole the candy bar who also then "washed his mouth out with soap" as self-punishment for the theft. ~Tom in Where I Slept This Weekend
Like Having My Own Private Book Club	Loads of fun there... would love to inform you that, my best friend and I have a competition who reads your post first and then we sit and discuss about it!!!" --~Moksh Juneja in Africa Curtain Call The pictures are amazing Basia. You must have had lots of fun. I am eagerly waiting for the next set...its something like kids waiting for the next harry potter release :) ~Suchitra in I Left My Heart In Kashmir
Best Musical Score (aka the man who can set anything to music)	A suggestion, if you're interested, is music by Anthony Phillips (1st guitarist for Genesis), he does the music quite a few BBC nature shows, and for some reason, I think you'd really enjoy his 1978 release 'Wise After The Event.' Just a thought. ~kevin g in Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Flowers have never prompted a threat to us, except in the case of "The Return Of The Giant Hogweed" from Genesis circa 1971!~kevin g in Behind The Scenes Isn't it scary to return to your home town after being away, I've done it, also, and recall the changes, and that which stayed the same. Reminds me of the Joe Jackson song "Home Town" from 1986's "Big World!" and the feeling from the time apart, has settled and given me goosebumps. ~kevin g in While I Was Away IQ (1993) The darkest hour If I won't live a lie it's in my self defence That I remember hiding then If I'm eroding all the innocence Am I running rigid once again? And he won't hear me now in the darkest hour I'll never see him now... ~kevin g in An Honorable Man I just purchased a This Mortal Coil cd which has a cover of Chris Bell's (Formerly with Big Star in early 70's who happened to kill himself after finishing his only solo album)"I Am The Cosmos", which sings about the expanding emptiness, but is a beautiful song, if you get a chance to hear either version! ~kevin g in Week of Flowers #2: Cosmos
Best Poker Face	Another medically-recommended way to celebrate your 50th -- have a colonoscopy ~Dale B. in On Celebrating The Big Five-O
Most Succint comment	ditto ~Donevk in Uncommon Beauty in Common Things
The "Thanks For Your Sympathy" Award	Sucks to be you ;) ~Danie in Winter Lover No More Great visual.....LOL you rolling like a human hamster ball...not to be TOO insensitive...but that's hysterical...grateful you never lose your sense of humor...I always figure if you can laugh later, you might as well laugh now. ~Sharon in Midwest Monsoon

2007 Bloggies Are Here

Did you get hooked on a blog this past year? Why not show how much you love your favorite bloggers (hint, hint) by nominating them for a Bloggie award?

The Weblog Awards are held annually, with nominations open to the public. Awards are presented at the SXSW festival in Austin, Texas each year. There are 30 different award categories, including Best Photography Weblog, Best Weblog About Politics, Best-Kept-Secret Weblog, and the ultimate Weblog of the Year.

Note that their rules require you to nominate a minimum of three different blogs. You don't have to nominate three in every category, and you can nominate the same blog for more than one category, but your total nominations, across all categories, must show at least three different blogs.

Go on. Make a blogger's day. Go here and nominate someone. I'll be nominating some of my favorite reads. Nominations accepted through Wednesday January 10th.

I Blog For Comments

Dale writes: "How interesting that there are conferences on blogging. I never would have thought that. It is clear that bloggers receive something very positive from blogging, and do not do it just as a public service to educate or entertain their readers! I am curious as to what personal benefits you receive from the act of blogging. Perhaps you might tell us?"

Why I Blog 1. My original reason for starting a blog was to keep in touch with friends and family when I moved from New York to India. Blogging was the perfect way to keep everyone in the loop, all at once. I hate writing the same thing over and over again on 15 postcards!

Parasailing

Varanasi women

2. I blog to share my passions: photography and writing. Without a blog, my photographs might be gathering dust in an album somewhere. With a blog, I get pats on the back, and lots of encouragement to continue my passion!

3. I blog for comments . Yep, it's true. There is nothing like getting a comment from the unseen audience out there to motivate me to post again. A comment is the equivalent of a friendly letter in the mail - and who doesn't like getting those? So keep them coming!

Tykes on Bikes

4. I blog because life amazes me sometimes, and I want to share the amazing. 5. I blog because it's a very non-intrusive form of communication. I write when I feel like it. You read when you feel like it. Unlike phones, which are always buzzing, angrily demanding my attention when I least want to give it.

6. I blog because it widens my world. I love the thought that somewhere across the oceans, a person I have never met (and may never meet) is getting a kick out of something I wrote or a picture I captured. Mary from Georgia. Polish anthropology student Marzena. Sande from Oakland.

7. I blog because it forces me to articulate my thoughts. Sometimes, I don't know what I think, until I write it down. Examine it. Critique it. Sometimes what comes out in a blog surprises me. The act of translating thoughts into words forces me to be precise, to formulate my opinions.

Salt in the making

8. I blog because I learn new things that way. My ideal life would be spent doing nothing but learning. Blogging helps me do that. Placing information on a blog makes me very conscious of being accurate. Instead of just admiring a photograph I captured of two unidentified insects on a flower, it prompts me to write to an entomology lab to figure out what those insects were, and what they were doing. Gets those synapses firing!

9. I blog because it's a way to record my personal history. In India Ink, I have a rich documentary of three years of living outside of my comfort zone. Sure, I could just keep a personal journal. But it's like quitting smoking or losing weight -- once you've told someone about it, you've raised expectations, and you're far more likely to stay with it.

10. I blog to capture the fleeting. That tiny, seemingly insignificant wisp of a moment, which would quickly fade away if not captured in word or picture.

11. As blogger Stephanie Klein once said, "I blog to clear my throat." Sometimes, it's as simple as that.

One Jealous Blogger

For the past couple days, hundreds of women bloggers have been gathering at the BlogHer conference in San Jose, California.

What do bloggers do when they're at a blogging conference? They do live blog postings, of course. I have been enviously reading about some of the fantastic sessions, panels, workshops -- and just plain fun. Wishing that San Jose was someplace I could reach quickly just by jumping into my car and heading west. (I could have killed two birds with one stone, and been there in time for my six-year-old niece's birthday. Happy Birthday Chrissy!).

I was tickled to learn yesterday that my story about trekking in the Himalayas (a combination of several of my blog entries) had been given an honorable mention by the group. I am really regretting that I couldn't be there to hear the awards announcement in person.

Next year, I am definitely arranging my life such that I will be at the 2007 BlogHer conference.

Bypassing The Blog Ban

Indian bloggers have started a comprehensive Bypassing the Ban in India wiki. If you're in India and can't get to your blog, check it out for lots of useful info.

Unblocking Your Blog

This is a public service announcement for my Indian readers, who may be unable to access their blogs because of the government block on internet domains that provide blog hosting services.

You may be able to access blocked blogs by using an open proxy. To do so, go to www.hidemyass.com. Type in the blog url and then type in the "humanity" validation code provided. Not guaranteed; it seems to work with some blogs but not with others, but a number of people have reported successfully getting around the block in this way.

Thanks to Dina Mehta's blog for this tip. Check out her site to see what Indian bloggers are doing to protest the ban.

India, Formerly Known As A Democracy

In a move of unprecedented stupidity, the Indian government has banned blogs in India. Blogs hosted by all the major hosting services, such as Typepad, Blogspot, Geocities and Google, have all been blocked and can no longer be accessed from India.

This was deemed necessary because of the discussions that were taking place on some blogs in the wake of the Mumbai train bombings. The government determined this material "inflammatory and anti-national" and felt that in the interest of national security, access to all blogs must be restricted.

Makes me wonder whether any of the military boys even know what a blog is, or realize how incomprehensibly stupid and futile their action was. If the resulting blogger outrage here is any indication, they will soon realize what they've done!

My blog service provider, Blog-City, is one of the few which hasn't been blocked yet. No doubt, just posting this critical-of-the-government entry will probably get it censored as well. So if y'all don't hear from me for a while, it's because I'm under a gag order...

More details here.

What Were YOU Searching For When You Landed Here?

Have you ever Googled for information, and the links took you to sites that seemed to have absolutely nothing to do with what you were searching for? I may have been one of those sites. My statistics page lets me see how people arrive at my site. It shows the search term that was entered and the resulting link that was clicked on which would have taken them to India Ink. In addition to the expected search phrases (Basia, India Ink, Basia Blog City), I've seen many that had me scratching my head. Here, a collection of some of the most amusing and interesting. If YOU arrived here via one of these search terms, welcome to the site -- and thanks for sticking around, even if this wasn't exactly what you were looking for!

Search Term	Linked to this blog entry	As long as you're here, pull up a chair
i dressed my son as a girl	A Walk to the Beach	All righty... Can you post a picture for us all to see him?
chinese ladies with little feet	An American In India Getting a Polish Change In a Chinese Beauty Parlor	This is what happens when you don't restrict your search with quote marks.
mail order bride do's and dont's	Mail Order Bride	I have only one Don't to offer you...Don't Do It!
how do cultures display friendly affection	Displays of Affection	You hit the jackpot with this one, didn't you? Pictures and all.
words for a manager who is leaving	'Bye Lesley	You're not going to copy my blog entry word-for-word into your Hallmark card--are you?
where do butterflies go at night	Sri Lanka: Adam's Peak	You're close. This is where butterflies go to die...not to sleep...try the next link.
is singapore a city or a country or both	More Singapore	Glad I could help you out with one...
how long does cottage cheese last	Curry, Chillies, and Cottage Cheese	Was this a philosophical question?
reasons for pale skin	Skin	No reasons here, just pictures. You'll have to dig deeper.
comical photo of sheep	Painted Camels	This one is really a stretch!
when is ok to wear open toed shoes	Things You Won't Find In Chennai	Are there actually rules that make it NOT ok to wear open toed shoes???!  Who knew!
why can't you drink and vote at 18	Don't Drink and Vote	Are you being argumentative? Have you been drinking?
see me poop	Headlines Sampler	Thanks...but no thanks...
why do only indians own dunkin donuts	Eve Teasing	I'm afraid you won't find the answer here -- but your theory is flawed -- the Dunkin' Donuts I worked in was not owned by Indians.
basia on tour	House Tour	Ooops....wrong Basia...you were hoping for a tour of Basia the singer's house, weren't you?
pictures of the element k	Element K In the News	Wrong element k...no potassium here.
why do alligators sleep with their mouth open	Crocodile City	Another hit! You'll actually find an answer here.
buy live chickens	At The Market	I'm stumped. Next link.
what to serve at a june wedding reception	Wedding Reception	Not that you're asking my opinion, but I say, serve whatever you want to.
do people in india use toilet paper	What Indians Use Toilet Paper For	Yes, as you can see, they use lots of it.
can you put me on a website that is just for girls	Just the Girls	Hope you found what you were looking for...
girls smooching	No Smooching	Sorry, this is not that kind of website ... would camels smooching do?
who saw mommy kissing santa claus	I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus	Not me. I saw nothing.
what is birth like in India	Sometimes, I Don't Know Why I Like India So	This is really creative linking...

Democracy and Femmes Fatales

OK, so I took care of that democracy issue in Nepal - everything should be all set now. They were doing victory rallies on Tuesday as I was heading out for the airport. Let's see - what country could use a little help next? Tibet, perhaps? :o)

Seriously - it was great to be there at such a historic moment, to watch it all up close, and to see such a positive ending emerge out of all the chaos. I'm back safe and sound in Chennai now, and very happy that I did the trip. Very tired though. My body is hoarding oxygen. It's convinced that any minute now I'll climb another 500 meters up into the air and it will have to fight for every molecule of oxygen that it needs.

For the next couple weeks at least, I don't plan on doing anything more strenuous than work, sleep, and watch TV. And blog. In the next day or so, as soon as I catch up a bit with my life, I'll start posting some of my Nepal pics.

On a different note, I was tickled to discover that last week I had been included in a Femmes Fatales list compiled by Natalie Bennett at Blogcritics.org. I'm assuming that's "femme fatale" in the deadly, kick-ass woman sense, not in the traditional Victoria's Secret sense of a "villainous woman who uses the malign power of sexuality in order to ensnare the hapless hero." I know, I know, there were some of you who immediately thought the latter, didn't you? Yup, that's me -- I may not do relationships, but I'm great at ensnarements... :o)

It's always fun to be noticed by fellow bloggers, especially bloggers I've never met before. So thanks, Natalie!

Happy Blog Day!

Bet you didn't know that today is Blog Day! Not my own, personal blog day (everyday is blog day for me!) I'm talking about international Blog Day. On this day, bloggers around the world are supposed to introduce five of their favorite blogs to their readers. I love the history behind why August 31 was chosen. As explained by the blogger who started it all, if you write August 31as "3108" and use your imagination a little bit, you'll see that "3108" looks like the word "Blog." (See logo at left.)

So what are my favorite blogs?

1) First would have to be Maganda, simply because that was the first blog I ever got hooked on. This young Filipino woman has been blogging long before anyone had heard of the word; I'm not even sure if it was called "blogging" when she started. Reading her words is always a treat for me.

2) Next - from a former professor of mine at RIT - Elouise Oyzon's External Memory. I love the tenderness of her blog, many moments of which have to do with her children. Also some exquisite photographs.

3) Here is one that I've only recently stumbled across, and I love it already: Dina Mehta's Creative Chaos. Dina is an Indian researcher based in Mumbai. I bookmarked her site when I saw this quote in one of her entries:
         "And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music." (Nietzsche)

4) Rosie O'Donnell's "stream of consciousness" writing. This isn't usually the kind of writing I'm drawn to, but something about hers is appealing to me. I like it that she doesn't care what people think of her writing, doesn't have her thoughts filtered through a publicist, she just puts it out there.

5) And finally - the blog through which I learned about Blog Day - Mathemagenic - written by a Russian woman living in the Netherlands. Like me, she considers herself a lifelong learner. I'm looking forward to learning more about her ideas.

So - what are your favorite blogs?

Be Careful What You Link To

Who knew? It seems that I am in the India mail-order-bride business. Here is one of the items I get when I type "Basia Kruszewska" into the Google search box:

Clicking on the link doesn't explain anything -- there's no reference to me anywhere on the site. The only thing I can think of is that it has something to do with a link I gave to a mail order bride site in one of my previous blog entries. Perhaps they found out and are returning the favor? How thoughtful.

I am picturing that long-lost high school friend, idly typing my name into the search box--"I wonder if she's still living in Bridgeport, maybe still attending St. Michael's church?" -- and finding instead that I am involved in shady international bride-selling ventures! Or perhaps, she will interpret it to mean that I'm registered as a mail order bride?? Aah well - the pickings were pretty slim in Bridgeport Connecticut...can't blame me for trying...

Hey Ron - for our next high school reunion, you were going to nominate me for most traveled. I'm wondering if this makes me more appropriate for a different kind of category? :o)

---

P.S. No takers for yesterday's riddle?? Here's a hint: It's something every one of you does every day....

Problems With Blog Notifications

Several of you have written to me recently about how to re-subscribe to the mailing list (to receive notifications when I add a new entry to the blog) because you haven't been getting your email notifications.

I just wanted to let you know that it's not a problem with you being on the mailing list. There continues to be a problem that I haven't been able to resolve, with the notifications going out to everyone. Sometimes they go out, sometimes they don't. It seems that I can either save an entry as a draft, OR I can have a notification sent out, but not both. This is very frustrating, since it means I can't ever save anything prior to publishing. So every time the power goes (which is frequently in Chennai!) or I lose my connection, I lose my entire entry. Arrrgh!

You are probably getting a notification for this entry (which I published without first saving as a draft) but you probably did not get a notification for the entry on Go Karting that I made yesterday (which I saved as a draft first, before publishing).

In any case - unfortunately, for the moment, you won't be able to count on getting a notification every time I post a new entry. The best thing for now would be to just check the Home page of the blog periodically to see if I've made an entry. (There is a link to the Home page on the right side of the blog, or use the link below).

http://basia.blog-city.com/

Comment Grammys

When I write in this blog, I have no way of knowing whether my words will bring a yawn...a smile...or a groan. In the same way that many of you look forward to new blog entries, I look forward to your comments. Thanks to all you wonderful commenters for helping me stay connected, and for making this blog feel more like a conversation than a monologue!

Here, some fun and figures about the 479 comments posted on this blog to date.

Top Ten Most Prolific Commenters

#	Commenter	# of Comments
1	Donna K	74
2	John	60
3	Sharon	58
4	Dale	51
5	Shannon	32
6	Lesley	29
7	Meg	29
8	Trina	21
9	Clare	20
10	Sheila	13

Category	Comment	Blog Entry
Comment that made me laugh the most	"Basia, are you trying to make us all crazy???? I'm going to go and drink, then drive fast and then shoot some heroin with dirty needles--sleep well Basia--don't worry about me--I'm safe......" --Lesley	Addressing The Issues
Most incredulous comments	"I'm freakin' speechless!! I think I need to go lie down now. And we think getting over the Q bridge in New Haven on a Friday night in the summer is an adventure.........." --Sharon My Goodness me- I wish you had a camera to take a picture of my face reading this entry !!!!!! --Shannon	What Do You Think-- A Nine Point Five? You're Not In Amtrak Anymore
Most creative comment	"I wrote little poems on my last trip, this one upon experiencing the Taj:" FIRST LOVE          He built a monument           only when she was gone-                      --Margaret-the poet	A Teardrop on the Cheek of Time
Blog entries that made you laugh the most	"Your slipper tale had me in stitches." --Dale The slipper story is so so funny! --Donna "Basia-LOL!!!!!! This is better than the Gnome-napping!!" --Lesley "The slipper story is hilarious!" --Eva I don't know exactly why, but I found that picture of the piled tower of pillows, along with the one of the lone madras pillow, roll-on-the-floor funny. Minimalist photography with a sense of humor. You are such a card!! --Dale ok-I'm going to be giggling about the pillow pictures for a good long time now! --Lesley	The Slippers and The Pillow
Most commented entry	My "motorcycle mama" picture elicited 10 responses.	My New Wheels
Blog entry begging for a comment	Was I the only one who found this scene amusing?	Mail Order Bride
Hitting the Nail on the Head comment	"So, let me get this straight (no pun intended), the following are not considered disgusting: defecating on the beach, no toilet paper, groping women on the train ....and yet two women attracted to each other is disgusting? Who knew!" --Carlene	In the News: Girlfriend Bashing
Best Trip Down Memory Lane	"I have to laugh about the dunkin donuts- I remember something in the past when we were in LA- you and those donuts- some things never change - and that was about 25 years ago!!!"   --Shannon I can attest that Basia's addiction goes back as far as 1973...the first year I met her...that's 31 years ago!! And it probably started WAY before than...it was so bad she actually worked there on overnight shifts! And she'd toss out anyone who came in to bother her customers!! She was always brave, adventurous and unstoppable...I think it's the DONUTS!! --Sharon	A Peek at My New Place
Most enthusiastic comment	"This is so, soo, soo, sooo, soooo, soooo, soooooo, sooooooo, soooooooo, soooooooo, sooooooooo COOL......." --Donna K	Meet the Commenters
Best impersonation	"Oh new mistress of our house! We are so happy to have you move into our house since it really makes it feel like home to have a human in our midst. We are so happy to eat as many mosquitoes as we can fit in our bellies and do our best to keep the evil spirits away from you. But we are sad to learn that you find us repulsive and want to kick us out. Our real names are Happy, Lucky, Fearless, and Wise. It pains us that you wish to relegate us to the same part of the universe that your silly President Bush wishes to put gay people who desire to marry. But we plan to stay and do our best for you anyway. Your willing servants and friends, Happy, Lucky, Fearless, and Wise." --Lizards	Marriage, Arranged and Random
Longest comment	Donna had a lot to say about India - 889 words!	Donna Does India
Shortest comment	"Mt. Everest?" --Paul	Tulips, Thailand, and the Taj Mahal
Biggest Commenter Mystery	From most prolific, to silent - Sharon and John -- where did you guys go???	.

Meet The Commenters

Over the past year, 50 of you wonderful comment-ers left a total of 470 comments on this blog. Many of you seem to enjoy the comments as much as the blog entries. And many of you have asked about each other:

     "Where do you know Maya from?"

     "Was that your sister who left that comment about...."

     "Is Shannon someone you work with?"

You all know who I am, and I know who most of you are -- but you all don't know each other. So here, listed in alphabetical order, is a brief introduction!

You can click on Read comment to view a sample comment from each person. To view comments that were left on the blog board (rather than inline with a specific entry), go to the blog board at the bottom right of the screen. (Update: The Blog Board is not available at this time.)

Anna is a kiwi friend. We met during my stint down under (in New Zealand). Read comment on blog board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	Carlene is an instructional designer at EK. Read comment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  . . . . . . . . .	Carole is a content development manager at EK. In this photo, she was obliging me by posing for a photo inside a garbage can. Read comment	Cheryl is a content development manager at EK. She would feel at home in India; she keeps lizards as pets. Read comment

	Picture stolen from here
Chitra is my cultural counselor and guardian angel in Chennai. Read comment	Chuck is the chair of ImageOut, an organization that I was on the board of before my departure for India. Read comment	Cindy is an instructional designer at EK. In the absence of a Fox's Deli in Chennai, she keeps me supplied with potato latkes. Read comment on blog board	Clare is a fellow India-phile. We sang Christmas carols together in Chennai taxi cabs in September. Her picture speaks for itself. Read comment

Dale and I were postdocs together at the University of Rochester. Read comment.  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  . . . . . . . . .	Dee is my colleague at Element K. We used to make Dunkin' Donut runs together. She lives for sunshine. Read comment	Donna K is my big sister. Her role in our family is to try to persuade the rest of us not to sky dive, bungee jump, or ride motorcycles. Read comment	Donna M is an HR manager at EK. SHE doesn't want me riding motorcycles in Chennai because worker's comp won't cover it. (All Donnas are the same...) Read comment

Eunice is a graphic designer at EK Chennai, and was a fellow rower. Read comment	Eva is my baby sister. She has her hands full with my niece and nephew, Chrissy and Alex. Read comment	Heidi and I worked together at a shelter for battered women in Austin, Texas. Read comment	Jane Anne was my manager in Chatsworth, California in the ' 70s. We were also roommates for a brief while. She now lives in Atlanta, Georgia. Read comment on blog board

John is an instructional designer at EK and used to be a very prolific commenter. Read comment  . . . . . .	Julie is a project manager at EK. She and I rode horses and fended off hawkers together at Mamallapuram. Read comment	Kalpana is a project leader at EK Chennai. She has an adorable one-year old. I'm trying to convince her to make one just like him, for me. Read comment on blog board	Lauree and I met at a Women's Winter Weekend in the Adirondacks. When we can manage it, we canoe, snowshoe, and eat at Ethiopian restaurants. Read comment

Laurie and I bicycled the Canadian Rockies together. Read comment .	Lesley was my manager at EK, and continues to be my role model. She dances with wools. Read comment	Meg is my younger sister. She was in love with India long before it was a twinkle in my eye. Read comment	Mary is my family in Rochester. She doesn't seem to mind that my emails to her from India frequently start with "can you do me a favor...?" Read comment

			Picture taken without permission from his website
Maya and I met when she was a student from India at RIT. We have exchanged lives; she now lives in TN (US) and I live in TN (India). Read comment in TalkBack	Paul is my boss. He holds the record for the most succinct comment. Read comment	Ram is my cubicle-neighbor at EK Chennai. He is freshly married, and has been a good sport about all the ribbing he's been getting about it. Read comment	Ron and I went to Harding High School together. We reunited courtesy of Classmates.com. Read comment

Shannon (at right, with me and Jane Anne in 1979) and I worked together in California. She now lives in Texas, where she was recently named Teacher of the Year in her school. Read comment	Sharon (with me, in 1990) was my freshman-year roommate at Fairfield University, Connecticut. She taught me about ziti, and reads a mean tarot. Read comment

Sheila and I worked together at the University of Rochester. She and her husband Coleman are my canasta buddies when I am in Rochester. Read comment	Sue is a content development manager at EK. She especially appreciates my butterflies. Read comment	Tom is an instructional designer at EK. He is a fellow Ayn Rand fan. Read comment	Trina is a content development manager at EK. Read comment

There were a few other folks who have left comments, but for whom I did not have pictures: Denise, Esther, Jen, Joanne, Karen, Kurt, Laura, Rob, Stephanie, Taryn, William. Sorry guys! Send me your picture, and I'll add you to the gallery!

Coming up.........The Comment Grammys!

Best of the Blog

Check out the new "Best of the Blog" section, on the right side of the screen, with links to blog entries that elicited the most interest from my audience -- as well as some that are my personal favorites.

Additional suggestions for your favorites are welcome~

Blogger's Block

Thanks for all the well-wishes, comments, and inquiries. Post-tsunami Chennai is almost back to normal, though other parts of Tamil Nadu (or even more so, other Asian countries) are definitely not. There has been so much about this disaster that has been heart-wrenching that it's hard to find any more words, apart from those everyone has already seen and heard in media coverage.

Several of you have asked me about donations for tsunami relief. Aside from those organizations you already know about and can trust (American Red Cross, for example) I'm hesitant to recommend any organizations that I don't personally know about, since I've been hearing a lot here about aid not getting to where it's intended. I'm checking into the possibility of doing some volunteer work with a local organization that is working on long-term aid for tsunami victims in our state. Will let you know if they are doing worthwhile work and could use some help.

My sister and I returned from Agra (land of the Taj Mahal) today. After a total of over 120 hours spent on trains in the last couple weeks, we're both pretty tired, but very content with our travels and experiences. I have almost 1000 pictures to show for it, and many tales to tell.

But as I sit here trying to begin, I find myself with a case of blogger's block. Words just aren't coming easily today.

Hope to resume blogging when I get my muse back. . .

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What's a blog? What made you start one?
A blog is an electronic journal. It's short for weblog. My blog is a way for me to stay connected with family and friends while in a far-away land, and to share my experiences of this journey with them. It has its roots in a paper newsletter, called Newz NewZealand, that I started about 12 years ago, when I moved to New Zealand in 1992. The newsletter was published quarterly or so, and mailed by snail mail to about 30 friends and family. When I subsequently moved to Rochester, it became the Rochester Rambler (with a temporary stint as The New Yak Times). When I embarked on the India trip, the hard-copy newsletter was reincarnated in electronic format as India Ink.

What's the purpose of your blog?
My only aim is to tell you what's going on inside my head, and relay what I'm seeing and hearing on this journey. It's not the purpose of this blog to tell you everything there is to know about India. I don't claim to be objective or thorough or unbiased. It's just me talkin' here, and sending you an electronic postcard!

How long are you in India for?
A year, give or take a few months. I came in January 2004, and my visa expires in December. It's possible that I may stay longer if needed.

June 2005 update: Make that, two years, give or take a few months...
January 2006 update: Ummmm...looks like 3 years?

Can you notify me when you add something to the blog, so that I don't have to keep checking it daily?
Sure- just sign up for the mailing list. Enter your email address in the Mailing List text box and click on the arrows to the right of the text box. It's an automated process that sends you an email whenever I post something new. You can still remain anonymous; I don't know who is on the mailing list, I only know the total number of people who are on it.
                                       

How often do you post to the blog? Can't you post more often?!
Some weeks I post every day, other times I post once or twice a week. Just depends on how how many thoughts are rummaging around in my head, how many pictures I'm dying to share with you all, and how stressed I am at work that week. I would love to post daily, if this was my full-time job!

What's the calendar for?
The calendar shows what dates have a posting, and can be used as a quick link to the posting. A day that has an entry is shown with a square border. Click on the date to go to the entry. Click on the arrows on either side of the month name to navigate to entries from other months.
                                      

How can I post a message?
You can post messages in two ways; either as a comment or on the blog board.

To post a comment, click on the Last Updated line, at the bottom of the entry you want to comment on. The entry will re-display with a comment form at the bottom. Scroll down to the bottom and enter your comment.
                     

To post a message on the blog board, click inside the box that says "why not leave a message" and type your message. Then, type your name in the name box below your message, and click on the arrows to the right of your name. It looks like this:
                     

Update June 2006: The Blog Board is not available at this time.

Help! I've tried to post a comment, but it doesn't work.
If you are running Security software (particularly Norton Internet security), add www.blog-city.com to your options. You may also need to reconfigure to allow your browser referral information to be passed. Instructions can be found at Symantec.

How do you know when I have posted a comment? What if I post a comment to an older blog entry, will you see it?
Any time someone posts a comment, I get an automatic email message announcing that someone has commented. This is done for all blog entries, old or new.

What is TalkBack?
TalkBack is a section where I answer questions/comments posted by my readers. I read every comment that anyone posts, and answer many of them, if I have an answer or comment. It's a way for me to have a conversation with friends and family.
                                           

What is trackback?
Trackback is a Blog City feature that allows you to link to comments in someone else's blog. (I don't use this feature much).

How many people read your blog?
I don't know exactly how many. I do know I have a lot of lurkers, because on days when I post a new message, I average about 250 400 550 800 hits per day. (A "hit" is anytime a person opens my site.) An interesting exception was the week I posted the picture of Yakshi, the divine enchantress; immediately after that, the daily hits skyrocketed. Hmmmmmm......

A running tally of hits is shown in the Hit Counter. (Note: The number below is just a sample picture of the hit counter taken a while ago. For the actual number, see the real hit counter on the right side of this site).

                                     

I'm too shy to post. Can I just read without commenting?
Ok, no worries, you don't have to post. You're welcome to just lurk. But you know how much you enjoy reading the blog? That's how much I like to read the comments.... (hint, hint)

A friend told me about your blog. I don't know you very well. Can I leave a comment anyway?
Of course. And feel free to introduce yourself!

Do you pay anything for your blog? How can I get one?
Blogs with the Blog City service are free if you don't mind advertising, and anyone can get one. I don't like the advertising, so I pay a small fee to keep it ad-free. I also pay an additional annual fee for extra space, to support that expensive photography habit of mine. You can get information on how to set up your own blog by clicking on the Blog City link on the right of the site.

Are all those pictures your own? What camera do you use?
All pictures are my own, unless stated otherwise. I have a 5 megapixel Nikon CoolPix 5700 digital camera. It has an 8x optical zoom Nikkor lens (4x digital zoom), with a focal length range of 35-280mm.

Can I come visit you in India?
Please do! I might even take your picture, and add you to the blog.

Welcome To My Head

"So much to write about... yet no writing, other than telling us what you _could_ be writing about! ;)" --John

In spite of there being allegedly "no writing" in my last entry, it still allowed you to visualize at least ten new things about India that you probably didn't know before, no?

There is more than one way to tell a tale - think outside the box, John...

P.S. Unlike a newspaper, whose mission is to report "all the news that's fit to print,"the mission of a blog is usually to let you inside the head/eyes of the blogger. On this particular evening, my head was spinning with all the things that I wanted to write about, but only had a few minutes to do so. My "no writing" writing was a sampler of five minutes inside my head. Welcome to my head! ;o)

So Much To Write Home About

There is so much to write about. There is always more to write than I have time for.

Should I write about how my water supply got contaminated with dead squirrels? Or how the early morning crowing of the rooster has been replaced by the bleating of a baby goat (the rooster presumably finishing up this life as someone's meal)? I want to tell you about the taxi driver characters that I meet twice a day, on my ride to and from work. Should I write about how difficult it is to not know what others around me are talking about, or to give directions for where a taxi should pick me up, to someone who speaks no English? Perhaps I should tell you about my new apartment, about the lovely beach it overlooks, and what will be different and what will stay the same. Or how much I miss my car. Or maybe, you would like to hear about the stimulating, exasperating, never-ending chaos of Chennai streets. Or how this morning, for the entire 13 kilometers from my house to the office, the driver never took his hand off the horn. Or how everyone, from the caretaker to the cleaning lady to the security guards at work, calls me madam. You might be interested to know that Chennai had a cholera outbreak this week. Or why Sonia Gandhi will not be prime minister, after all.

So much to write about.

Blogging By Candlelight

The only thing worse than Chennai traffic is Chennai traffic in a torrential downpour. With the exception of a light drizzle about a month ago, we've had virtually no rain the entire time that I've been here. The last 24 hours have definitely changed that. We went from a severe drought, to heavy rains, wind, lightning, and flooding.

Driving home from work tonight, the visibility is almost zero. The taxi driver is fighting a losing battle to keep the car windows from fogging up. Bicyclists, drenched and almost invisible, dart in and out of traffic. There is flooding close to the curb, so people are walking in the middle of the road. When we get to within a few miles of my neighborhood, I notice that all the lights--traffic lights, street lights, lights in all stores and businesses--are out. Everything is so dark that I don't even recognize my own neighborhood. My usual landmark for where to turn off the main road to my house, a Subiksha supermarket, is pitch dark, such that I don't even notice it and we drive right by, then have to backtrack and several times ask for directions to orient myself. I am wishing that I had just spent the night at work!

I ask the driver, only half-joking, "Is this a monsoon?" He laughs. "No, monsoon in summer. This, just small cyclone." [On second thought, he could have been saying "No monsoon in summer." Not sure!]

Oh. That's all right, then. And here I was worried!

My house is completely dark, the garden turned to mud. I am tickled to see the caretaker come out and greet me at the car with an umbrella. I am very happy that inside I have a stash of candles and a flashlight. Amazingly enough, my phone connection is still working, so I still have internet access and a laptop battery that will last me several hours.

So here I am, blogging by candlelight. Outside, a few children whoop and holler. A cool breeze blows through my windows, the wind rages, and I hear thunder in the distance. I rather like the sound.

In this land of perpetual sunshine, I realize how much I have been missing the weather.

About India Ink

Hi there. I'm Basia Kruszewska, Ph.D.

Basia is a nickname in Polish for Barbara. It's pronounced like Basha. I'm an instructional designer, writer, trainer, former neurobiologist, avid traveler, and amateur photographer.

I was born in Poland and moved to the U.S. when I was young. Since then, I have lived in Connecticut, California, Texas, New York, New Zealand, and India. India Ink began as a way for me to keep in touch with family and friends while living in India. It had its roots in a paper newsletter, called Newz NewZealand, that I started in 1992 when I moved to New Zealand. The newsletter was published quarterly or so, and mailed by snail mail to about 30 friends and family. When I subsequently moved to Rochester, it became the Rochester Rambler (with a temporary stint as The New Yak Times). When I embarked on my India journey, the hard-copy newsletter was reincarnated as the blog India Ink.

I no longer live in India, but my blog lives on. I am currently based in New York.

From 2003 to 2008, India Ink was hosted at Blog City. Starting in January 2009, it was migrated to its current location on Typepad.

Photo Info
Unless stated otherwise, all pictures here are my own. Please be nice, and don't use them without permission. Photographs were taken with a Nikon D80 digital camera body, and a Tamron 18-200mm lens. Some closeups were taken with a Nikon AF Micro-Nikkor 60mm lens. Photographs taken prior to 2007 were taken with a 5 megapixel Nikon CoolPix 5700 digital camera with an 8x optical zoom Nikkor lens (4x digital zoom), with a focal length range of 35-280mm.

With my sisters at Pfeiffer Beach, Big Sur, California (that's me on the right) (2008)

At a wedding in Mumbai, India (2005)

New York (2005)

At Malaysia Botanical Garden (2004)
Photo by Vasanthi

At a temple in Chennai, India (2003)